Author's Note:

Yes, another fanfiction. As before, the disclaimers go as follows:

My email address is Guardian4@atlantic.net. If you want to email me about my story, please put fanfiction in the subject line. Sailor Moon was made by Naoko Tacheuchi, I don't own it.

Also, Rei and Mamoru never went out, k? And Kunzite and Zoisite are not lovers. I also used the relationship between the Shitennou from the manga, not the anime, which means they don't hate each other. I also use only the manga attacks for the Senshi. (Since in the Manga, Mars doesn't have Fire Soul and only talismans in the first season, I'm going to borrow a second season one, even though she doesn't have her Star Power transformation.)

Hidden Truths

Chapter 10

The next day, Rei was leaving the school when she saw the motorcycle. She blinked in surprise; no one ever drove a motorcycle to her Catholic school. Her eyes meandered over the people in the yard, wondering who the person was waiting for.

Then the rider took off their helmet and she gasped. Jadeite. How did he get a motorcycle? Was he waiting there just for her? Had something happened? If so, why hadn't they called her on the communicator then? As she walked closer, though, she had to immediately suppress the thought that he looked extremely sexy in the jeans and jacket he wore.

"Hi," she said as she approached. "What are you doing here?"

"Makoto sent me to get you. The meeting was over about an hour ago and she put all of us to work. She said to make myself useful, I might as well pick you up. I think I got the better end of the deal." He smiled; a charming one and one she fought not to respond to.

"Where'd you get the motorcycle? Mako-chan doesn't own one."

"Nephrite," he said simply and blinked.

She kicked him in his shin as discreetly as she could. He winced and demanded in a low voice, "What was that for?"

"You guys will have to think up civilian names for yourself. You can't just go about saying your…other names in public. Not only would people look at you strange for your names, but Metallia has spies everywhere!"

"I don't care much what other people think, but you're right about Metallia," he responded worriedly. "But what are common names here?"

She sighed. "Take me to Mako-chan's. We'll explain the situation and call Ami-chan. She'll be able to come up with some names and forge legal records for you."

"Legal records?"

"You have to have them to do anything in our society. You'll be grateful later on," she said cryptically.

"Oh. Are you going to get on?"

She toyed with the idea of saying no, but in the end, it wasn't worth walking all the way to Makoto's apartment when she could get a free ride out of Jadeite.

As she got on the bike, though, she caught the stares of the entire courtyard and the nuns from the windows of the school building. She shrugged it off for the moment. She had more pressing problems on her plate than being the talk of the school. If people wanted to think she was going out with Jadeite, she didn't care; it might even keep the other boys from asking her out ten times a day.

She pulled on the helmet and Jadeite resettled his over his face. He kicked the bike into gear and with a roar, was halfway down the street before the students at her school had time to wipe the dust from their eyes.

Rei tucked her bag between Jadeite's back and her stomach, then wrapped her arms around his midriff. He was extremely well-muscled, a fact that she had noticed in their battles before. Her hair, which she had forgotten to tie back, indifferently caressed her face and his.

Jadeite had never once entertained the notion that Rei would agree to the ride and now he couldn't believe his luck. He could remember in the Silver Millennium when they had gone out together, in public like this, and being the envy of everyone. But then he hadn't cared; he had had Rei and that was all he had ever wanted.

But now he didn't have Rei and that was what he wanted again. Her arms around his chest, her hair touching his exposed neck sometimes…it all combined to make him nearly sick with longing. He couldn't say what he would give up to have her in his arms again, but he wanted it so bad that he would rather not remember what they had had back in the Silver Millennium.

It was because of his subconscious desire to be with only her that had kept him from wanting anything out of Queen Beryl's youma, Thetis. It had been well-known, even to him, that she had favored him and wouldn't decline his attentions. But he had felt nothing but revulsion whenever she touched him, whenever she came near him. And now he knew why; it was because of the thought of himself with any other woman but Rei, perfect Rei, made him violently ill inside.

And he fought the green of jealousy. He had seen the boys and how they looked at his Rei. But she wasn't 'his' anymore. Was she anyone's love and they hers? Or were they just admirers? Was she dating anyone?

Now he was green with envy of everyone who got close to her because she kept him at arms length. He couldn't blame her; he would be nervous and suspicious around the people who had caused the entire fall of the Silver Millennium.

And it was true; it was the Shitennous' fault. It was because of them. They were the only people besides the Royal Moon Family and the Senshi that had known the weaknesses of their kingdom. The Senshi had trusted them so much that they had told them that. And when Beryl had gotten them into her hands and brainwashed them, it was simply a matter of questions to find out those weaknesses to exploit them.

Slowly he approached the apartment building of Makoto's home. He let Rei get off first before he himself got off. Kicking down the brake and taking both helmets, he set them down on the handle bars. Grabbing the key and pulling it into the shadow of the building, Jadeite walked quietly with Rei up to Makoto's apartment.

When Rei got to school the next day, she was immediately called into an office by one of the nuns. She had no idea what it was about; she had always had a good school record, never late once. So what was it?

"Sit down, Miss Hino."

She did so, a puzzled look on her face.

"There was a man on a motorcycle yesterday. You rode away with him the other day when normally you walk back to the temple. You also didn't go in that direction. Are you dating an older man?" she asked in concern.

Rei couldn't help but blink a few minutes in silence. Even the nuns cared about who she was dating? Was this entire school centered on her private life? "What?" she finally repeated blankly.

"Are you dating that older man? It could be very dangerous for you; there are many consequences of such a thing and if intimacy is involved…"

Rei's hand gripped the chair handle. A nun was talking about having sex with an older man with her? She couldn't tell if she should be appalled, embarrassed, or amused. "I assure you that I am not dating Mr. Kaimen."

"Is that his name? Who is he to you?"

"His name is Jason Kaimen. He's a friend of one of my fellow comrades in the martial arts classes that I take sometimes after school."

"I thought your duties were to the temple?"

"They are, but I also take martial arts classes."

"Are you…intimately involved with this man or that fellow comrade in your class outside of school?"

Now Rei knew what to feel. She felt both appalled and embarrassed. "I am not involved with him in any way. He just came to pick me up at a request of a friend of mine since she knew I didn't have a ride."

"Is the fellow comrade a she?"

"No, that would be my best friend's boyfriend." Rei didn't exactly lie to the nun; she was sure that if Mamoru were awake, he would be dating Usagi. "Also, Sensei, please forgive my impertinence, but even was I dating Jason, I don't think it is any of your business."

"I forgive your impertinence; I know that most teenagers feel that way. I am just concerned for you. He is an older man and they are known to have a sexual appetite for young women."

The Senshi of Mars, who had seen wars and death in most horrible ways and not been sick, felt her stomach turn flip flops at this discussion with a woman who had been sworn to celibacy. Could she have found a worse subject to discuss? And she could not, for a moment, think that Jadeite, or rather Jason, wanting her body like that.

"I truly do not believe he wants that from me. We barely know each other."

"But you know each other well enough to ride with him."

"Yes I know him well enough to do that. And I also trust in myself that I can take care of myself if he tried anything."

"You are very good at physical sports," the nun conceded reluctantly. "But he was handsome and quite charming. I hope you don't intend to fall for false promises."

"I promise I won't, Sensei, but I must go to class now."

The nun nodded and Rei practically fled from the room, her ears burning and her temper up. How dare that teacher presume to know what was going on in her life? What was it to her? It wasn't her business. Rei didn't care if she was just concerned about her. That still didn't give her a right to embarrass her that way.

That afternoon saw the end of school and the same motorcycle with the same man on it there. Rei walked up to him without hesitation this time, knowing he was waiting for her.

"Will this be a regular occurrence then?" she asked without preamble.

He held out a red ribbon. "It's to tie your hair back."

She didn't touch it yet. "Is this going to be a regular occurrence?" she demanded.

"Do you want it to be?" he whispered, his face inscrutable.

"I'm just trying to know when you will or will not be here so I don't wait around for you."

"Oh, I will be here, without fail, every day unless you tell me otherwise."

"Did Mako-chan send you again?"

"…No, I came because I wanted to. Do you want me to desist?"

Rei cocked her head and a smile formed on her lips. It would give one helluva shock to that nun that presumed to know what was best for a powerful Senshi. Plus, she like riding with Jadeite—no, Jason.

She grabbed the ribbon and tied it around her hair to keep it from her face. "No, you can come to take me home."

He smiled winningly and she didn't fight the urge to smile back. Something just felt right about it and she didn't fight it. It also felt familiar. As if she'd done this before and it had been right then too.

She got onto the bike, trusting Jadeite, and they proceeded to the temple.

End Chapter 10